Jay Root Reporter

Jay Root
is a native of Liberty. He never knew any reporters growing up, and he has never taken a journalism class in his life. But somehow he got hooked on the news business. It all started when Root walked into the offices of The Daily Texan, his college newspaper, during his last year at the University of Texas in 1987. He couldn't resist the draw: it was the biggest collection of misfits ever assembled. After graduating, he took a job at a Houston chemical company and soon realized it wasn't for him. Root applied for an unpaid internship at the Houston Post in 1990, and it turned into a full-time job that same year. He has been a reporter ever since. Root has covered natural disasters, live music and Texas politics — not necessarily in that order. He was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for a dozen years, most of them good. He also covered politics and the Legislature for The Associated Press before joining the staff of the Tribune.Root is the author of “Oops! A Diary From The 2012 Campaign Trail,” an insider’s account of Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s dramatic collapse in the 2012 presidential race. The book was released in September, 2012.

The Allen Police Association has withdrawn its endorsement of its hometown senator, Ken Paxton of neighborhing McKinney, in the GOP race for Texas attorney general. The group cited Paxton's recent admission that he violated Texas securities law.

During Dan Branch's first year in the House, he was a driving force behind an effort to prevent the disclosure of conflicts of interest that can arise when lawmakers work for firms that lobby the state Legislature.

State Sen. Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for Texas attorney general, violated the Texas Securities Act by soliciting investment clients without being registered as required by law, according to a disciplinary order made public Friday.

As he ponders whether to run for president again, Gov. Rick Perry has renewed his faith by getting baptized in the spring waters once used to wash the sins off Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas.

Sen. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, has amended nine of his personal financial statements to correct omissions in his disclosures, all of them related to his service on nonprofit boards, newly obtained filings show.

Sen. Ken Paxton, the leading Republican candidate for attorney general, canceled his appearance at a Tea Party event Monday evening so he could focus on a review of his financial disclosure filings, a moderator said.

The campaign of attorney general candidate Ken Paxtonis "reviewing and researching" its disclosure obligations in the wake of a Tribune investigation into his work as an investment adviser representative and other business relationships.

The agency charged with prosecuting public corruption cases wrapped up an investigation into Wendy Davis last year without finding any issues worth pursuing and did not uncover anything it believed it should refer to the FBI.

The former TWIA chief says two top Republicans tried to pressure him into fighting more cases and complained that fees paid to lawyers were ending up in Democratic coffers. The Republicans said their actions were appropriate.

Democrat Wendy Davis said last summer that she would quit doing private legal work for her public sector clients if she ran for governor. But months after she kicked off her campaign, the Fort Worth senator continues to represent them.

When Democrats blasted Attorney General Greg Abbott after a recent stop in Lubbock, the front-running candidate for governor accused one of them of calling his "Latina wife of 32 years a prop." The Democrat says it never happened.